The view hit us suddenly, and completely by surprise. I had been concentrating so intently on the rough, rocky track we were following that the top of the ridge was seen as nothing more than a change from driving upwards to careening downwards. But as the view hit me, I instinctively jammed on the brakes and got out to admire the panorama that surrounded us.
I was hemmed in by ranges; at my back was a particularly rugged part of the mountains, while to my front the path of Depot Creek wound between two hills before suddenly spilling out on to the flat plain which seemed to stretch away to eternity. In fact, the flat plain does stretch for quite a distance with hardly a hill and certainly no mountains all the way to the WA border and beyond.
We had been exploring the southern Flinders Ranges, poking around in a few places I knew and loved well, and finding other spots that I hadn’t been to for 20 or more years or had never even seen before. Depot Creek falls into the category of a place I hadn’t been to in a long time and, recently, access to this historic spot has changed and been made easier.
We had heard about the change in access earlier and so after wandering around Orroroo, Quorn and Hawker, we headed out on the dirt through Yappala Gorge towards the old deserted town of Hookina. For much of the way you pass through the Yappala Properties Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), and while this area of once pastoral leasehold land was declared an IPA back in late 2013, only recently are there any visible signs of that appointment.
The IPA covers 10,886 hectares and features acacia shrub lands, open eucalyptus woodlands, the imposing Yappala Range and the artefact-rich floodplains along Hookina Creek where more than 30 archaeological sites have been recorded.
Bu hikaye 4x4 Magazine Australia dergisinin January 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye 4x4 Magazine Australia dergisinin January 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
OUTBACK WATERING HOLES
SINCE OFF TRACK WINES WAS LAUNCHED, OWNERS ANNA AND BRETT FISHER HAVE DRIVEN MORE THAN 20,000KM UP, DOWN AND ACROSS AUSTRALIA SPRUIKING THEIR WINES-IN-A-CAN MADE FOR CAMPING. THEY DROPPED INTO PLENTY OF OUTBACK PUBS ALONG THE WAY AND THESE ARE THEIR SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FAVOURITES
BIG COUNTRY
THE PILBARA IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF BIG COUNTRY, AND THERE IS PLENTY TO SEE, DO AND ENJOY IN THIS ANCIENT LANDSCAPE IN WA'S RUGGED NORTHWEST
ISLAND PARADISE
NEAR THE TOP OF THE BUCKET LIST FOR EVERY AUSSIE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVER, K'GARI IS PACKED WITH STUNNING HIGHLIGHTS AND BOASTS SOME OF THE BEST BEACH DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY
WEIGHTLIFTING
INCREASING THE GVM OF YOUR 4X4 SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED IF YOU NEED IT. WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ON OUR FORD RANGER TO EXPLAIN HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
NOW HEAR THIS
THE CEL-FI GO MOBILE BOOSTER WILL KEEP EMAILS, MESSAGES AND CALLS COMING THROUGH TO YOUR DEVICES WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS HEARING CRICKETS
LOOKING BACK
A PAIR OF MSA 4X4 TOWING MIRRORS ENSURE WE ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND US WHEN WE HAVE A TRAILER HITCHED TO OUR MITSUBISHI TRITON
TRUCKIN' LIFE
CAN FORD AUSTRALIA'S NEW F-150 BE AN ACCOMPLISHED OFF-ROAD TOURING 4X4?
WHAT LURKS BENEATH
IT MAY LOOK LIKE A FAIRLY STANDARD (IF CLEAN) 80 SERIES, BUT DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER AND YOU'LL FIND A MONSTER BELOW THE SURFACE
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
RAM HAS DUMPED ITS HEMI V8FOR A SIX-CYLINDER, AND IT'S COMING TO AUSTRALIA
GETTING TANKED
GWM EXPANDS IT TANK 4X4 RANGE WITH THE LUXURIOUS TANK 500 WAGON